Chapter 9:

The ringing stopped and there was silence. Then a bang as Chris and Brittany fell to their knees and David grinned at me

"See you later, buddy." he said laughing as he Disaparated.

I sat down beside Kayla's head and put it on my lap.

"Don't be dead. Please don't be dead." I said over and over again, caressing her face.

Brittany crawled over to where we were and put two fingers on Kayla's neck.

"She's alive. I can feel her pulse. Here," she said, guiding my hand over her neck where I felt a faint pulse. Relieve washed over me and for a moment I felt faint.

"We need to get to the Great Hall." Brittany said standing up and putting her wand in her pocket. "We gotta see what we are doing next. Scott, do you think you can carry Kayla."

"Yeah, I got her." I replied, shoving my wand in my pocket and lifting Kayla in my arms.

As we walked back to the Transfiguration entrance and back out onto the bridge I looked around as we headed back to the viaduct. Towers and turrets around the castle were missing in chunks, there were fires all over, huge holes in the walls of the castle, and smoke and dust filled the air. Once we reached the viaduct, I saw I wasn't the only one carrying someone's body into the castle; students left and right were picking up fellows student's bodies and carrying them into the Great Hall. As we walked across the courtyard and up the stone steps to the Entrance Hall Professor McGonagall came hurrying towards us.

"Another body. Marshall we will be putting the dead-" she said before I cut across her.

"Actually, Professor. She's still alive. Just unconscious."

"Oh. Well then if you would, please, take her to Madam Pomfrey and she will sort her out." Professor McGonagall said not unkindly.

We bustled past her and into the Great Hall. There were bodies covered up on one side of the Hall, some surrounded by sobbing friends and family, while others rested peacefully. I looked around and found Madam Pomfrey at the end of the Hall, treating students as fast as she could. I walked away from Britt and Chris as I went up to her.

"Madam Pomfrey, she's alive just unconscious. I'm not sure what spell or curse she was hit with, but it knocked her out instantly." I said, gently laying Kayla down on of the beds.

"Well, dear, I will sort her out and give you news as soon as I can." she said to me gently.

I took one last look at Kayla before I turned and looked around for Chris. I found him over crouched next to Jamie over a body. With a sickening feeling in my stomach I slowly made my way over to them.

"Jamie-" I started, before Jamie wailed and turned around and gave me a bone crushing hug. "You're alive! You're both alive! I was so worried."

She released me and I crouched next to Tyler's body, tears flooded my eyes and before I knew what was happening I was sobbing uncontrollably laying my head on Tyler's chest. I felt Jamie rub my back, and Chris' arm across my shoulder.

"Scott..." Jamie said, grabbing my wrist. "You need to have this looked at now."

I looked at my wrist as she gently touched in in random places, that's when I finally felt the pain I'd be ignoring for most of the night. It flared up my arm, and I whipped my hand back and cradled it against my chest. Looking down at it, it was turning a nasty shade of purple and was slightly swollen.

"I'll have Madam Pomfrey fix it for me." I said casting another look at Tyler's body before Jamie covered it with a sheet.

I walked back over to Madam Pomfrey and waited as she was attending to another student.

"Scott! Scott!" I heard cried by several people behind me.

I turned and saw Caroline, Tasha, Hannah, and Mike running towards me; Caroline, Tasha, and Hannah threw their arms around me. When we broke apart I looked them up and down. Hannah had a few scratches on her face but looked okay, and Tasha and Caroline were both looking as though they had just fighted off a Devil's Snare.

"Thank god, you are all okay." I said to them smiling as best I could.

"What happened to your wrist?" Caroline said, looking at it horrified.

"I think it broke during the battle when I fell on it." I replied cradling it closer to my chest.

"I can fix that," said Tasha, pulling her wand out of her pocket. "Episkey," she said, confidently pointing her wand at my wrist. I felt my wrist get very hot, then very cold.

I stretched my arm out and gingerly flexed my wrist, it seemed healed.

"Thanks," I said, flexing it again.

"No problem," she said smiling at me, "I need to wrap it up though." She grabbed some wrapping bandages off one of Madam Ponfrey's stools and started tightly wrapping up my wrist and hand.

"Mr. Marshall," said Madam Pomfrey behind me, "Kayla is waking up, if you would like to see her."

I waved to the others and walked over to the small cot that Kayla was laying on. I crouched down next to her head and her eyelids flickered open.

"Kayla, love?" I said gently, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like I was stomped on by a giant." she moaned, "Where am I?"

"The Great Hall. The fighting's stopped for now." I said, "I carried you here."

She slowly sat up, putting her hand to her forehead.

"Maybe you should take it easy..." I said.

She shook her head as she swung her legs over the cot. "No, I've-I've got to move around my legs feel so stiff."

I stood up and took her hand as I helped her up and we made our way over to Chris who was sitting on one of the benches. He looked up at us and smiled.

"Hey, I'm glad you're okay." he said to Kayla.

She smiled weakly at him. We sat down next to Chris and Kayla put her head on my shoulder.

"Sleep," she said gently caressing my hand as she held it. "I'll wake you when it's time."

I nodded and rested my head on her head and fell asleep almost instantly.